An Unlikely Diagnosis
by Cytherea4
Summary: This fic picks up directly after the end of the episode Insensitive from Season 3. I am not a CamForeman shipper at all, but there isn't much of it out there, and what Cameron said really made me think. So, it had to be done.


An Unlikely Diagnosis

Chapter 1

He sits at the table, waiting, and thinking. This is something that he never thought about before, never considered. It was during that serious talk with Cameron that he realized just how much he cared for her. He wanted a relationship like his parents. He wanted to find someone that he could be committed to. She got angry with him, sure enough. Of course, that was to be expected, seeing as she thought he was insulting her marriage. Which he wasn't, he told her that. He completely understood how much it meant to her, but did know that it was nothing compared to staying at someone's side for thirty years. Thinking about it now, he wanted to give her a chance at the real thing. She was gorgeous, no doubt about that. But she was kind, and sweet, and genuine. More so than anyone he knew. They certainly had some hard times, especially after he stole her article. But he knew now that he was wrong to do it, and also, that they would stay friends after they left PPTH. He was looking forward to that. They came through their fight, and his near-death experience, with grace, and a renewed sense of appreciation for one another. She had saved his life. Until this very moment, he had never thought of his feelings for her as anything more than being eternally grateful for what she did for him. He always looked at her as somewhat of a younger sister that he enjoyed spending time with, and would always be there to protect.

Chapter 2

It was time to go home. The patient had been saved (tapeworm—all in a day's work), and as he collected his stuff, Wendy approached him. He knew what he had to do, he had been thinking about this for quite some time. She was upset, but things just didn't feel right. She was cute, nice, and understanding, and he hadn't been lying when he said that he had shared a lot of things with her. Unfortunately, those things aren't enough for a budding relationship. He didn't feel a deeper connection with her, and he couldn't envision himself with her another month, let alone in the long run. He did want to do something nice for her though, because he did care. He wanted her to take advantage of the opportunity that he had given her and get the best education she could. She left, and he sighed, relieved. The relief that he felt surprised him, because the whole time he was talking to Wendy, he was thinking about Cameron. His reasons for breaking up with her had just grown stronger, and when she left, albeit in tears, he couldn't help but to think of the freedom that he now had to pursue something else… someone else.

Chapter 3

As he walked to the front door, he saw Chase and Cameron ahead of him, so he hastened his step to catch up. Perhaps they could go out later on, since none of them had anyone for Valentine's Day. He saw them stop, having a conversation. He just stepped out the door when he heard something that left him dumbfounded:

"…microwave pizza?"

"And of all the people I work with, you're the one I'm least likely to fall in love with."

"Like microwave pizza."

"The point here is to make things simpler, not more complicated. Someday there'll be time to get serious about someone. Meanwhile, we already had sex once and didn't get weird about. So…"

"I get it. I get it. So, what if I'm offended by your judgement?"

"Then you're not the man I'm looking for."

And with those final words, Cameron walked away.

Chapter 4

Foreman knew immediately that he was not supposed to be privy to that conversation. He turned and retreated back into the hospital. He didn't watch as Chase smiled and followed Cameron. Slowly, Foreman walked to the elevator in a daze. He found himself sitting at the table once again, with no recollection of how he got there. Sitting in the same place as before, when he was reflecting on his feelings for Cameron, he now mulled over the conversation that he had just heard. Had his words had that much of an affect on her? Did he push her to such desperation as to so bluntly ask Chase to have sex with her? This was devastating. He never meant to make her feel so unhappy, and especially didn't want her to do something so rash and so drastic. He folded his hands on the table and laid his head down in them. He needed to think of something, someway to tell Cameron how sorry he was and… and maybe even see if she was at all interested in him. And then he remembered something else that she had said. He was so caught up in the way she was asking Chase for sex, that he hadn't fully comprehended anything else. But there it was; it dawned on him so suddenly… "Of all the people that I work with, you're the one that I'm least likely to fall in love with." Everyone knew about her former feeling for House. But when his leg was healed, albeit temporarily, she rejected him for a date. Foreman truly believed that she was over House. The Cameron that he had known previously would have jumped at the chance. He assumed that Cameron was not interested in Cuddy, and Wilson was married. She was too moral to sleep with a married man. And claiming that she wouldn't fall in love with Chase only left… him. Foreman. Think of it! Perhaps this conversation was a blessing in disguise. He slowly lifted his head. He had to tell her. He had to do something.

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Cameron had arrived back at her apartment, Chase following closely behind her. She didn't wait for him to park his car as she went inside, but left the door open for him. Chase entered, and asked to use the shower. As soon as he left, she took the opportunity to grab something out of the freezer and throw it in the microwave. It went off just as she heard the bathroom door open. Chase had a only a towel around his waist, allowing Cameron to see his svelte figure as he entered the room. Wordlessly, she handed him a plate. Chase looked down and laughed when he saw the microwave pizza. He placed it on the counter and took Cameron into his arms, immediately meeting her lips for a kiss. After a few minutes, Cameron broke away, and whispered in his ear that his pizza was going to get cold. Laughing again, Chase swooped Cameron up and tenderly carried her to the bedroom as she kissed his neck. As he laid her on the bed, his towel fell off, and as he retrieved it, Cameron began removing her clothes. He brought it back to the bathroom to hang it up, and when he returned, he found Cameron lying on the bed completely naked, just waiting for him.

Chapter 6

It was over almost as quickly as it had begun. Cameron didn't know why she thought it would be any different this time around. Feigning exhaustion, she sleepily told Chase that she would call him soon. He took his cue and left, shutting off the bedroom light and closing the door on his way out. After finding his clothes and getting dressed, he saw the pizza sitting on the counter. He smiled, and popped it in the microwave. He was a bit hungry, and he deserved something. She had made it for him, after all. Sitting down on her couch, he ate the pizza and reminisced about their lovemaking sessions. He hoped that there would be many more to come, and wondered if maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to make her love him. He was uncontrollably attracted to her, as was apparent by the extraordinarily short amount of time it took when he was with her. He remembered her comment on that once, and blushed slightly. He couldn't help it; he just couldn't stop himself when he was with her. Finishing the pizza, he absent-mindedly washed the dish and began making plans. He would call her and ask her to come to dinner with him tonight. By that time, they both would be plenty rested. He would take her somewhere nice, buy her flowers… and see if he could get her to spend the night at his place. Satisfied with his plan, Chase left and went home to get some much-needed sleep.

Chapter 7

Cameron remained still on the bed, curled up under the blankets, still naked. Although she was tired, she was much more awake than she let Chase know. She didn't want him to stay. She thought this would help, but she felt even more unsatisfied than she was before all this, if that was possible. She sighed unhappily. It was the conversation she had had with Foreman earlier that got to her. She didn't understand why it affected her so much, but it hurt because he was right. When she was with her husband, she wasn't thinking about it like that, but in retrospect, that was exactly what it had given her. She truly didn't know what it was like to be in a committed relationship, and after her second tryst with Chase, she realized that she didn't really want a sex life, she wanted the real thing. She contemplated who might be capable of giving that to her. It was obvious that Chase was not it, and although she would still always hold a special place in heart for House, she was fully aware that he was unqualified to be the type of boyfriend that she longed for. Wilson was married—why was it that the only people she could think of was her co-workers? It hit her that they really were the only people she knew and spent any time with. She didn't even know if she could consider any of them to be her friends, but they were all she had. She did know that Foreman was her friend. Foreman. The reason that she had begun to think about all of this. She mused over the trials and tribulations that their friendship had endured. But despite everything, they came out on top. Of everyone she worked with, she liked spending time with him the most. He could be callous, sure, but she knew that he really cared about her. He would protect her, and was willing to show her things that anyone else would have been too nice to say. He was similar to House in that way, but nicer overall. She always thought of him as an older brother, but now, she began to picture it in her mind. What would it be like, getting to know Foreman better? She didn't even think about sex, because that wasn't what she was interested in. He was intriguing to her, and she decided that it would be worth investing more time and effort into their friendship. And if something developed out of it, so be it. He did have a girlfriend, after all. And her motives were clearly not impure. She would never again fall into a situation concerning infidelity. She was still not over the guilt that she felt when she became so close to Joe, her husband's best friend. Content with her thoughts, Cameron drifted off into a gentle sleep.

Chapter 8

Foreman knew he had to go to Cameron's apartment. He had to stop her from sleeping with Chase again. He called her cell while he was driving, but it was off. In his frustration, he ended up getting lost. It wasn't like he went there everyday. He knew the general area of her apartment, but apparently, that was not good enough. Growing angrier at the minute for the precious time he was wasting, Foreman sped to her apartment. As he drove up, he saw Chase leaving the house with wet hair and a satisfied smile on his face. He was too late. He stopped the car so Chase wouldn't see him, and watched him drive away. He couldn't go see her now. It would be too awkward knowing what had just happened. He sat in his car for a few more minutes, thinking. He was desperately in need of some sleep, so he decided to just go home. He would call Cameron tonight, giving them both time to relax. Maybe he could ask her out to dinner, some place nice… he wasn't good at this. If she said yes, what type of a place was appropriate? He wanted to take her somewhere fancy, but didn't want to scare her. And what about flowers? Was that too much? Upon arriving home, he immediately set his alarm for four o'clock. That would give him plenty of time to sleep, and also, enough time to figure out what he would say to her. And knowing how girls are, he wanted to make sure she would have enough time to get ready.

Chapter 9

When his alarm went off, Foreman sprung from his bed, fully awake and rejuvenated. Wondering what to do about Cameron, he picked up the phone and called the one person that he knew was good at these kinds of things—Wilson. Wilson answered, and was surprised to hear Foreman's voice at the other end of the line. He listened patiently, and gave all the advice that he could, curious as to why he would be asking such questions when he was already in a relationship, and should therefore know what level they were at. Foreman realized that Wilson, along with everybody else, was unaware that he was not with Wendy anymore. But he decided to follow the advice anyways, and if it was a bit too much, he could just tell Cameron that he wanted her to have a good Valentine's Day because she deserved it. Resolved, he dialed her number.

Cameron was stirred from her sleep by the phone ringing. Checking the time, she realized that it was 4:30. Surprised that she had slept so late, she hastened to the phone. Glancing at the caller id, she felt butterflies when she saw Foreman's name on the screen. She answered the phone, surprised at the reaction that just seeing that he was calling her had given her.

Foreman smiled when he heard Cameron's sweet voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi Cameron, its Foreman."

Cameron could almost hear him smiling, and she responded in kind.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Good… did I wake you up? I am so sorry if I did."

"No, no, that's ok. I can't believe that I slept this late!"

Foreman laughed. He was nervous, but took a deep breath and said:

"I was just calling you to see if you had plans for tonight. I know we had a serious conversation earlier, and I wanted to make sure you were okay, maybe talk about it… and it is Valentine's Day. You deserve to be treated to a nice dinner."

Cameron was shocked at his proposition, but was secretly excited. Her nervous laughter penetrated the brief silence.

"That is so thoughtful of you! I have to say, I am surprised. I was expecting to stay in tonight. I would love to join you for dinner, but shouldn't you be taking Wendy out?"

Foreman sighed. He'd momentarily forgotten that she didn't know.

"Well, long story. How about this. I'll explain it to you in person tonight at dinner. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good. I made reservations at Ciao Bella. I don't know if you've ever been there before, but it is a really nice Italian restaurant. They have great food, and a great atmosphere. Can I pick you up at 7?"

Cameron didn't know what to think. He had already made reservations? And at Ciao Bella?? She had never been there before, but heard that it was very expensive. She glanced at the clock and quickly calculated how long it would take her to get ready.

"Sounds great! But I'll have to go start getting ready now if you want me to be on time. See you at 7?"

"Sure thing. See you soon Cameron."

"Okay. Bye Foreman!"

Foreman's smile widened as he hung up the phone. She had said yes! He couldn't wait for tonight. In only a few short hours, he would be taking Cameron out for their first date. He made a quick call to the florist, and then went to find something to wear. He found his suit and laid it out on the bed. It was all black, and he figured that a deep red shirt would be appropriate, seeing that it was Valentine's Day. He found the perfect tie—black, with tiny red hearts. He had never expected to get any use of this tie; he laughed when his mother gave it to him all those years ago. But it just seemed right to wear it tonight. Happily, Foreman hopped in the shower.

Cameron couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she started to get ready. Searching through her closet, she found what she was looking for. The red dress that had shocked House when he saw her in it seemed perfect to wear to a fancy restaurant on Valentine's Day. She knew she looked stunning in it. After laying it out on her bed, she found her shoes, and prepared to shower, thinking about how she would style her hair.

Chapter 10

It was almost six, and Chase was just rolling out of bed. With a grunt he realized that he had slept much later than he wanted to. "Knew I should have set the alarm," he muttered to himself. Yawning, his stretched and reached for his phone. If he wanted to get reservations, he'd better call now. Ciao Bella was the place he wanted to take Cameron. She deserved it, and he certainly could afford it. He earliest he could get reservations for was almost 10, but he took it anyways. Maybe he'd have to share a bottle of wine and dessert with Cameron before dinner instead of after, but nothing was going to ruin his plan. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was 6:30 and knew that he'd better call Cameron now.

Cameron was styling her hair in big wavy curls when her phone ran. She thought it might be Foreman, and hoped that he wasn't going to call and cancel on her. Seeing that it was Chase, her heart sunk. She knew that this was not going to be good.

"Hello?"

"Hey!"

"Oh… hi."

"Are you well rested now?"

"Well, yes, I am."

"Good. I wanted to know if I could take you out to dinner tonight. I made reservations, but the earliest they could fit us in was 10. So I figured maybe we could relax and share a bottle of wine and some dessert before dinner. You deserve a nice Valentine's Day."

Cameron paused. She didn't know what to tell him, but she knew she didn't want to explain that she was going out with Foreman.

"Chase… I'm sorry, I don't think that I can. I already have plans tonight… I am going out for a girl's night with some of my old friends since we are all single and need a chance to catch up…"

His face fell. "I knew I should have called earlier!" he thought.

"Oh well, have fun! And if you change your mind or you are lonely when you get home, feel free to come over or call me."

"Thanks Chase. Bye."

Cameron hung up the phone. She couldn't understand why Chase was pursuing her. She made it clear that she didn't want it to go any farther than sex. Realizing that she didn't have much time left, she hurried to put her make-up on before Foreman arrived and stopped thinking about it.

Chapter 11

Chase was disappointed. He didn't even bother to call and cancel the reservations. He was sure that she would say yes, that she didn't have plans. Why didn't she mention that earlier? She said she would call him. And the joke with the pizza seemed to indicate that she cared more than she let on. Still upset, Chase headed off to take a shower anyways.

Foreman slowly approached her door. He recalled how he was here earlier in the day and didn't dare to come as close as he was now. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he felt prepared. Reaching Cameron's door, he knocked confidently.

Cameron heard the knock just as she finished putting the last touches of blush on her face. Grabbing her purse, she took a second to prepare herself before answering the door. Hand on the knob, she thought about how random this all was and how she had no idea what would come of it, but she wanted to find out.

When Cameron opened the door, Foreman was rendered speechless. She looked absolutely gorgeous. She was wearing the red dress he remembered from the fundraiser, with intricate black sandals and a black shawl draped across her shoulders, and her curls cascaded down around it. She was holding a tiny black lace purse; her nails were the same color as her dress, as was her lipstick. He had never so fully appreciated her beauty, and smiled at her as he leaned forward to hand her the bouquet of flowers that he had brought for her.

Cameron gasped when she saw Foreman on the other side of the door. He looked incredible. His black suited look amazing, and she admired his body more than she ever had before. His shirt matched the color of her dress almost exactly, and she inwardly laughed at the irony. How many times in her life had she strived to find a shirt for the men she was dating to match her outfit so well? And here he was, standing before her, and they matched without even trying. All of a sudden, she felt him handing her the most beautiful bouquet of red and white tulips. She took them, and could barely manage to say thank you because she was so surprised. They weren't roses, but they were perfect. She knew that this meant so much more to her than he could comprehend. She felt herself falling for him.

"Foreman… thank you… thank you so much… let me put these in a vase before we go…"

"You're welcome. And please, call me Eric. We're not at work anymore."

Cameron disappeared into the kitchen, but quickly immerged with the flowers nicely arranged in a vase and placed them on her coffee table in the center of the room.

"Are you ready?" Foreman asked, and held out his hand to hers.

"Yes." Cameron took his hand, and followed as he led her out the door.

Chapter 12

Foreman was a perfect gentleman. He opened the door and helped Cameron in, which she greatly appreciated. She didn't think she would have been able to remain steady without his arm. She made a joke out of it, blaming the shoes, but she was shaking with anticipation. Sitting in the car, Cameron thought about Wendy. She had forgotten that Foreman was in a relationship, and her spirit dwindled. This was all too wonderful; she knew it must be too good to be true. She gazed out the window, lost in her thoughts.

Foreman glanced over at Cameron staring pensively off into the distance, and he knew she must be thinking about Wendy. He had to tell her now; he couldn't bear to see the disappointment on her face for a moment longer.

"Allison…" he trailed off. He didn't know how to start this.

"Yes?" she replied, turning towards him.

"Things weren't working out with Wendy; I've known this for some time now. I got her into school in Boston as a final gesture of kindness, but I couldn't leave her until I made sure it would go through… I told her today."

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Cameron didn't know what to say. She was so glad that he had brought it up; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to enjoy herself at all tonight.

"So don't feel bad. I can tell you were feeling guilty. Let's just have a fun night, okay?"

"Okay Eric, that sounds good to me. I certainly need it!"

Cameron's vitality returned, and shortly thereafter, they arrived at Ciao Bella.

Chapter 13

After parking, Foreman immediately opened the door for Cameron and helped her out. They walked into the restaurant, and Cameron fell in love with the place almost immediately. It wasn't lavishly decorated for the holiday; in fact, it wasn't even decorated at all. The lighting was dim, and there were the faint sounds of an Italian man singing over the speakers. Everything was dark—made out of a deep mahogany wood, and was both sophisticated and warm and welcoming at all the same time. They were led to a quaint booth in a corner. Cameron was surprised that it was so quite, considering the amount of people that were dining. She gasped when she opened up the menu and saw the prices. She wanted to say something, but she didn't want to ruin this, so she decided to keep her mouth shut. It was nice, after all, and it wasn't very frequently that someone asked her out for such a date. When was the last date that she had? She realized that her last date was the one that she forced House to go on with her. She chuckled to herself in remembrance of how poorly that went over. He was nice to her, sure, but refused her advances and would not admit any feelings for her whatsoever. Thinking about it now, she was astonished at how forward she had been confronting him like that. That was one mistake that she knew she could never make again. And in this situation, although she certainly considered it a date, she had no notion of what her feelings really were for Foreman yet, let alone did she have any idea what he might be feeling at all.

Foreman knew from the look on her face as soon as they entered that she loved it. He also saw her reaction when she saw the prices. But for him, this didn't happen very often, and he had no reservations about spending a bit of money, especially when he could see how much this meant to her. He knew it was soon after Wendy, but he didn't want to take anything too fast. He wanted to enjoy this night, and get to know her better.

"Have you ever had Prosecco?"

Foreman's question abruptly cut into her train of thought.

"No, I haven't… what is it?"

"It is Italian champagne; they import it here directly from Italy. It is like nothing you have ever tried in the States before." And with that, Foreman summoned their waitress and asked for a bottle of it.

By the time the bubbly champagne arrived, they both were ready to order. Foreman decided on Steak Florentine, one of his favorites. Cameron ordered the Chicken Marsala. Once the waitress left, Foreman poured the Prosecco into the two glasses, and handed one to Cameron. He wanted to offer a toast, but wasn't sure what to say, so instead, he lightly touch the edge of his glass to hers with a smile.

Upon Cameron's first sip of the drink, she fell in love. It was wonderful, and true to Foreman's word, like nothing she had ever tried before. She knew she was going to have to be careful to not drink too much; she didn't want anything to mess up this night.

As Foreman watched her enjoying the champagne, he thought about Chase. He knew he had to bring it up because it was bothering him so much. Maybe it would be some indication of her feelings for him.

"So, do you like it?"

"Yes! This is wonderful!"

"I figured you would. It is a great thing." Waiting a second, Foreman formulated his question before speaking to her again.

"So I'm surprised you were free tonight. I was sure that Chase would have asked you out on a date or something. It is pretty clear that the wombat still harbors some feelings for you."

Cameron almost choked on her drink when she heard him refer to Chase as a wombat. She couldn't keep from laughing.

"Actually, he did. He called me right before you got to my place and asked me to go out with him tonight."

"Oh? And what did you tell him?"

"Well, I told him I had plans with some friends for a girl's night since we were all single on Valentine's Day. I didn't want to tell him that you had already asked me to dinner because I didn't know how he would have reacted. And I didn't know what was going on with Wendy, so I didn't want to make things awkward."

Foreman was worried. She didn't seem to be giving any indication that she would have said no to Chase if she didn't already have plans. Did she only say yes because she had nothing better to do? Would she have preferred to go out with Chase? Clearing his throat, he said

"Well, I certainly hope I didn't keep you from a dream date with the wombat!"

Cameron laughed again. She couldn't get over the fact that he was calling Chase a wombat.

"No, of course not! I thought I made it pretty clear to Chase that I didn't have any feelings for him, but now that you say it… maybe he still does like me. And in that case, letting him take me out would be leading him on. Besides, I prefer to spend time with you. I've always considered us friends, especially now, but I feel like I don't know you as well as I should. And I want to fix that."

Foreman was comforted by her answer. She didn't like Chase, and wanted to get to know him better. Which was exactly what he wanted. Their dinners arrived, both looking absolutely scrumptious, and they both began to enjoy their wonderful meal.

Chapter 14

Dinner was nothing short of incredible. Cameron couldn't remember the last time she had food that was so good. But aside from the quality of the food and the atmosphere, she felt that this was nothing more than a dinner between two co-workers. She felt slightly disappointed, but knew that she could take this as an opportunity to get to know him better.

"This is so wonderful. I've always wished that I could go to Italy. I figured that there would be time in the future, when I had made enough money, but work just seems to take over everything these days. Plus, I don't know how I would survive in a foreign country with no knowledge of the language by myself!"

"Italy is an amazing place. It is well worth it, if you ever get to go there. I would love to go back."

"You've been before?" Cameron was surprised. This was a side of Foreman that she never even considered.

"Yes, I went in college, undergrad. Over our winter break, one of my professors took me and a few other students to Italy for two weeks over New Year's. We spent most of our time in Florence, but went to Rome for two days and made a day trip to Fiesole. It was the best experience I've ever had."

"Please, tell me about it— I would love to hear your stories!"

"Florence is a beautiful city. The churches are amazing, not necessarily for any religious reasons, but simply for their architecture and the art. There is so much to say, I don't even know where to begin." Foreman was excited that Cameron seemed so interested in hearing about his travels. It had been so long since he talked about it to anyone, but he wanted to tell her everything.

"Actually, I have a photo album back at my place with all the pictures. If you'd like, you can come back after dinner and I can show it to you."

"I would love to! It is still early, and I enjoy looking at pictures, especially of places I've never been."

"Well then. Would you like dessert before we go?" Cameron nodded, but handed Foreman the menu to pick something out for the both of them. He glanced through it briefly before making a decision.

"How about tiramisu?"

"One of my favorites." And so they ordered. When the waitress brought the dessert, they shared it in silence, both contemplating the conversations they had had through out the night.

Foreman was glad that she was going to be coming back to his place. He originally wasn't going to ask her, but he knew how much better it would be for her to see the pictures and not have to imagine what he must be talking about. She seemed to be having fun, and so was he.

Cameron had been wondering what she was going to do after dinner. She assumed that Foreman wasn't going to invite her back to his place, but she didn't know if she should ask him to come in once they got to hers. She didn't want to come on too strongly, but she wanted to spend more time with him. It wasn't often that they got to do this, and it was nice. She was also really worried that Chase was going to show up or call her again. She didn't want to create any tension between them all— they needed to pool their energy together to face House, not each other. But this was perfect. She would get to spend more time with him and not have to worry about Chase.

They finished their dessert and Foreman paid the bill, then escorted Cameron out to the car and began driving back to his place.

Chapter 15

It was almost 10, the time Chase had reserved for dinner with Cameron, and he was still hanging on to the hope that maybe she would call him and decide to go out with him anyways. At this point though, he would have been fine just having another tryst with her. He picked up the phone and called her house, and listened as her answering machine picked up. With a sigh, he called her cell phone. It was off. So he decided to leave a message.

"Hi, you've reached Allison Cameron. Please leave me a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Have a great day!"

"Hey Alli… I know you said you were busy tonight, but I'd love to see you when you get home. Don't worry about it being too late to call me. You can just head over if you want, if not, I can come over to your place instead. So, umm… yeah, just give me a call when you get this. Talk to you later. Bye." Chase went to lie down on his bed, and wait for her to call him back, show up, or, worst case scenario, to simply fall asleep.

Being back in the car reminded Cameron of the conversation they had earlier about Wendy. She had a few more questions, so she decided that she might as well bring it up. He seemed fine talking about it, and she really didn't have anything to lose.

"So Forem— Eric, I thought you were happy with Wendy. What happened, if you don't mind my asking."

"Things were fine for a while. But it was clear that she felt more strongly about me than I felt about her. I wasn't comfortable around her and I didn't see myself with her in the future. I didn't want to mislead her, but I didn't want to end it until I had done something nice for her, which is why I went through the trouble to get her into a good school. Also, I'm sure she understood that this wasn't a spur of the moment decision; I had thought about it for quite some time."

"So how did she take it when you told her?"

"She was upset. Of course, that is to be expected. She claimed that I wouldn't let her in. I really had, but only to the extent that was necessarily for the point we were at in our relationship. And the fact that she didn't think that was good enough made me realize that she was taking this more seriously than I was and that I had made the right decision."

"Did you tell her about Italy? Did she see your pictures?" Cameron wasn't sure what possessed her to ask that, but she had to know. She was hoping that it could be something special that they shared, something that she could know about Foreman that nobody else, at least that they worked with, did.

"No." Foreman's answer was brusque, which made Cameron pause, but she decided to let it go.

In truth, Wendy did know about Italy. She had come across his photo album one night when she was searching for some new reading material from Foreman's collection. She herself had been to Florence once before, and when she saw the pictures, she immediately ran to Eric to ask him about it. He had no problem talking about it, at first. But she was so excited that he had been and loved it too, that after only a few minutes of conversation, she was making plans for them to go back there together. Neither of them had been since college, and it would only make sense. She began to think about dates, when they could go, and for how long, trying to figure out how much time they could get off of work and if Cuddy would let them schedule their vacations at the same time. It would have to be summer…

The stark realization of what she was doing made Foreman's blood run cold. Wendy was planning a long vacation for just the two of them at least six months in advance. Weekend getaways were fine, but this was too much for him to handle. It was at this moment that he grasped just how serious she was about their relationship. He could barely think about where they would be in a month, let alone half a year from now! He began to wonder if this was really what he wanted, and if he was willing to work for it. He glanced over at Wendy, still flipping through the pages, talking aloud to herself about how wonderful it would be. He knew that he had to end it. From that point on, he stopped telling her things. He spent more time at work and less with her, and decided that getting her accepted into school would be a nicer way to leave her. Maybe with the prospect of a bright future, she would have hope and ambition, making the break up less bitter. Cameron's voice cut into his thoughts.

"So if that wasn't what you wanted, what is?" Foreman was surprised at her question. It was to the point, and he wasn't sure how much to tell her.

"Well, when we had that conversation in the lab the other day, it really made me think. I want to find something that I can be committed to. I want to have a relationship like my parents have. I knew that it wouldn't be with Wendy, so being alone and searching is better than giving her false hope and ruining my chances to meet someone else." Cameron was impressed. After all, it was noble of him. It still didn't give her any indication of what he felt for her, but that didn't matter right now.

Chapter 16

They arrived at Foreman's place, and he gave her a brief tour since she had never been there before. He got a glass of water for Cameron and she sat down on the couch. He thought of something that he failed to before when he asked her to come back with him. Although he could be wrong, he assumed that she'd want to get out of her dress and change into something more comfortable. He certainly did. But nothing of his would ever fit her tiny little body.

"Hey Allison, I think I may change into something more comfortable. Do you want me to try to find something that might fit you? I don't think I have anything small enough, but I can try…"

"Any shirt would be fine. I'm sure it will be long enough that it can be almost a dress itself!"

Foreman retreated to the bedroom and put on a pair of pajama pants and a tee shirt, and then found one for Cameron. He brought it to her, and she went to the bathroom to put it on. Sure enough, it came down to her knees. She figured that she would be fine without any type of pants on; after all, this shirt covered her more than her dress had! She walked back out and joined Foreman on the couch, where he was sitting with his photo album on his lap, waiting. She sat down next to him and slipped off her shoes, glad to be able to relax. Foreman opened up the book and spread it out so that half of it was in his lap and the other half was on hers. Cameron was immediately enthralled by the beauty of the pictures and captivated by his stories.

"I'm sorry that they are so out of order."

"Why aren't you in any of the pictures?"

"Because I took them all! I'm in some of them that the other people have, but I don't have copies of them." He continued showing her his favorite places and explaining everything from the history to art analysis, to what happened while they were there.

MAKE A PHOTO ALBUM EXPLAIN THE REST THERE

Chapter 17

She found herself wishing that she could go to this wonderful place more and more. Foreman knew what she thinking just by looking at her face, and he briefly considered asking her to go with him. He did want to go back, after all, but—no, he wouldn't do to Cameron what Wendy did to him. They weren't anywhere near being in a relationship at all, but still he found his mind drifting and imagining how much fun it would be to show her everything.

It crossed her mind that going with Foreman would be the only way she would ever actually go. She was too old to go with one of the tour groups, and she certainly didn't feel comfortable going alone. She wanted to ask him, but realized that it probably wouldn't be a good move on her part. She didn't want to scare him. After all, that would be a big step. But it certainly was possible for them to go together just as friends. Her mind imagined being in the places that he showed her, with him by her side…

Chapter 18

Hours had gone by, and neither of them noticed it. They were having too much fun talking. After they had finished looking at the album, Foreman excused himself to go to the bathroom. Once he was gone, Cameron yawned and stretched out in the couch. The feeling of fatigue suddenly came upon her, and when Foreman returned, he found her fast asleep on the couch. He didn't want to disturb her, and she looked so peaceful. He gently placed a pillow under her head without waking her, and softly laid down a blanket over her. Shutting off the light, he withdrew to go to bed himself.

The alarm went off only a few hours later, waking Foreman for work. Knowing that he'd have to bring Cameron back to her place before leaving for work, he set the alarm a bit early. Stretching, he got up and opened the door, and the sweet aroma of brewing coffee filled his nostrils. 'I could get used to this' he thought with a smile, and walked out to the kitchen to find Cameron.

She had woken up on a couch. At first, she didn't remember where she was or how she got there. It only took her a few seconds to recall the night before, but she had no idea why she ended up sleeping on Foreman's couch. She didn't remember asking him if she could. Looking at the clock, she decided that she would get up and make some coffee for Foreman before work. Only a few minutes later, as the coffee was just finishing being brewed, she heard the bedroom door open and footsteps walking towards her.

Foreman entered the kitchen to see a smiling Cameron, clad in only his oversized shirt, handing him a cup of hot, fresh coffee. Gratefully, he took it from her and motioned for her to sit down with him at the table. She poured a cup for herself and joined him.

"I hope you slept okay. I went to the bathroom last night, and when I came back, you were asleep on the couch. I would have taken you home, but I didn't want to wake you."

"That's fine… I didn't wake up once. But if you wouldn't mind dropping me off on your way to work so I can get ready, I would appreciate it. I'm sure that I would get some strange looks from everyone if I walked into the hospital in my dress or your shirt!"

"Of course. Let me go get dressed quickly and we'll go now." Foreman finished off his coffee and got ready for work. When he came back out, Cameron had cleaned up and had all of her stuff together.

"If you want your shirt back, I can put my dress back on. I just didn't want to take too long."

"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's go." They got in the car and drove to Cameron's.

"Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No, go ahead. I don't want both of us to be late!"

"Alright, see you at work."

"Okay!"

"And Allison?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for joining me last night. I had a great time."

"So did I. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun. So, thank you." And at that, Cameron walked inside.

Chapter 19

Foreman got back in the car and decided to stop and get bagels for everyone. Neither he nor Cameron had eaten anything that morning, and he didn't want to be so early that it was suspicious. Arriving at work, he met up with Chase and they sat around the office eating the bagels, waiting for House and Cameron to arrive.

"So Foreman, how was your Valentine's Day? Did you spend it with Wendy? I heard she had some crazy plans for you."

"No… we actually aren't together anymore." Foreman knew it had to come out sometime, and he wasn't one for beating around the bush.

"Oh… I'm sorry." They went back to eating in silence. Foreman was just grateful that he hadn't had to actually answer Chase's question. He didn't want to lie and say he did nothing, but he knew that telling Chase that he spent the whole night with the girl that he had been pining for for who knows how long wasn't in his best interests, even if nothing came out of it.

Once at home, Cameron rushed around trying to get ready. She washed the remaining make-up off her face, but didn't have time to shower. She was ready to go. Grabbing her cell phone and turning it on, she saw that she had a new voicemail. Hoping that it wasn't someone from the hospital, she listened to it while she was driving to work. It was Chase, from last night. As she listened to his message, she thought about what she could possibly say to him.

Chapter 20

Cameron walked in to see Foreman and Chase eating bagels, with what looked like a full bag between them. She smiled thankfully at Foreman, knowing that he had done this because neither of them ate. She leaned over to grab one, when a voice from behind surprised her.

"Why, Miss Cameron!" She turned around to see House directly behind her, an amused look on his face.

"Isn't that interesting, boys? Our little girl must have had one hell of a night. Her hair is styled, but messy enough that she slept on it. And a clean face with no make-up affirms that she did not shower this morning, meaning that she was late to work and didn't have time to put new make-up on. So, who was the lucky man?" House jeered. Cameron blushed; she couldn't help it. Foreman spoke up.

"House, why do you care what Cameron did last night? You've made it pretty clear that you only care about our personal lives in so far as you can make us squirm. Can we get to work now?"

"Well, you can! We don't have a case, so it is off to the clinic with you! Both of you— Cameron, stay here. I need you in my office."

Cameron winced, and both of the boys sent a sympathetic glance in her direction before heading down the clinic.

No sooner had they walked a few feet down the hall, Wilson saw them coming. He was chatting up a pretty nurse, but was more interested in finding out what was going on with Foreman. He called him over, and Foreman began walking over to him. He knew what was coming; he just needed to think of what he was going to say. And he hoped that Chase would continue on to the clinic and not stop and wait for him. That would only make things worse.

As soon as Foreman left, Chase began to think about what House said. Cameron certainly didn't spend the night with him, and would she have stayed out with her friends all night if she knew she had work in the morning? The only explanation was that she had lied to him and was really going out with someone else. But why would she have asked him earlier that day if he would have sex with her if she already had a date for that night? And it certainly appeared as though if she did have some sort of a date, she had all the sex she wanted. Why else would she not pay attention to the time, making her late for work? But that means that whoever it was didn't ask her until after he had left her apartment earlier that morning. He knew she should have stayed, or called earlier to ask her to go with him. Maybe if he had, she would have stayed with him instead. But who could it possibly be that she would lie to him about it? House wanted to speak to her alone just now… what if… what if she was with him? Could it be? He didn't think she would ever have a chance with House, but he walked in so soon after she did. Maybe he was saying all that to tease her; to make him jealous? He had to get to the bottom of this. Although he was envious of House, he was genuinely concerned for Cameron's well being. He knew that House wouldn't treat her right. And there was nothing he could do to stand up for her. Well, at least there was Foreman. He was good at that kind of thing; he'll protect her. And with that final thought, Chase grabbed a file and started off his day.

Chapter 21

"So, spill. How'd the date go? Did you follow my advice?"

"Yes, it was fine. Thank you."

"Should I ask Wendy about it?" Wilson said with a grin.

"No" Foreman sighed, "my date wasn't with Wendy. We aren't together anymore."

"And you're back on dates already? Who is the lucky girl?"

"It wasn't really a date, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything to anyone. Now I must get down to the clinic." Foreman walked away. He didn't know what to say, and he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. He certainly didn't want Wendy to find out and think that he had left her for someone else, which clearly wasn't the case. But he knew how rumors worked around here.

Chase and Foreman had left, and House walked into his office. Cameron sat awkwardly at the table for a few minutes before finally deciding to go in and see what House wanted. She had no idea what to expect, but she was nervous.

She walked in to find House aimlessly twirling his cane, as he so often did when he was trying to solve a puzzle.

"House, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I have a growing pile of mail, and you are much more use to me here than in the clinic. So get to work." And with that, he abruptly got up and left the office. Cameron was relieved that there wasn't anything more to it than that, and so she started going through his mail.

House went to go find Wilson. He entered his office without knocking.

"So, did you find him? You better have some good gossip for me!"

"Yeah, he said it went well, but wouldn't tell me who it was. Apparently it wasn't really a date, but nobody would believe that. Oh, and him and Wendy aren't together anymore." House had a feeling who Cameron spent the night with, but he didn't say anything. He turned and walked out of Wilson's office without another word. Wilson just shrugged and went back to his work. A few seconds later, House reappeared in the doorway.

"Lunch?" Wilson got up and followed him to the cafeteria.

Foreman was getting sick of clinic duty and figured it was time to take a lunch break. But first, he headed up to House's office. He wanted to see if Cameron was okay and what House wanted with her. When he saw her through the door just sifting mail, he wasn't worried.

"Hey Cameron. Care to join me for lunch?"

"Oh, hi. Sure, let me just finish this up really quick." Foreman took a seat to wait for her to finish her work.

"So, what happened with House earlier."

"Nothing, actually. I expected him to say something, but all he did was tell me he needed me to go through his mail instead of going to the clinic. I was worried he was going to say something else, but he left me alone."

"Good. You ready?"

"Yes, let's go." Cameron put the last of the papers down on the desk, and they headed down towards the cafeteria.

Chapter 22

As House had left Wilson's, he saw Foreman getting off the elevator and heading towards the office. He figured that he was going to go get Cameron for lunch, and he was more than happy to crash their party. Getting Wilson, House realized that they were going to get there first. He had to distract him. As they walked, House spotted Cuddy. Now here was an opportunity that he couldn't refuse.


End file.
